Even in the case of Iraq's military aggression against our country, the evidence and documents that have since surfaced show that the United States had extended full support to Iraq and encouraged it to wage its full-scale war on the Islamic Republic.
Among other hostile measures taken by the United States against our country was the downing of an Iranian airliner flying over the Persian Gulf, which resulted in the death of almost 300 passengers and crew. The U.S. forces also attacked our oil platforms in the Persian Gulf.
When I was president, I visited the United Nations and made a very informative speech at the UN General Assembly. The speech, which was broadcast live by several European television channels, was bound to have a strong influence on public opinion.
On the same day that I made the speech or on the next day, U.S. forces intercepted the Iranian ship Iran-Arj in the Persian Gulf, and the U.S. media in a concerted and coordinated move claimed that the ship was assigned to plant mines in the sea! This propaganda campaign was clearly intended to overshadow the speech and offset its influence.
Ayatollah Khamenei, May 12, 2003
